On today's episode of #TRIBEGOALS I sit down with Fitness Icon Denise Austin! We talk about how she came into the fitness industry, her success with her VHS, DVD and daily TV Show on ESPN - Get Fit with Denise Austin. We talk about her impact in the fitness industry and serving 2 terms of the President's Council of Phyiscal Fitness and Sports and working alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. We also talk about her fitness focuses as well as her work with her daughter, Katie Austin!

#TRIBEGOALS is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. Our theme music Rough and Deep is performed by JGRLNG.

Growing up, many of us may remember our moms, aunts, babysitters etc having VHS and eventually DVD's of Denise Austin! You may have even started your day working out with her. When it comes to a fitness icon, she is one of them and we loved sitting down with her last week to talk about how she came into the fitness industry, her success with her VHS, DVD and daily TV Show on ESPN - Get Fit with Denise Austin. We talk about her impact in the fitness industry and serving 2 terms of the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports and working alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. We also talk about her fitness focuses as well as her work with her daughter, Katie Austin!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be in the fitness industry?

DENISE AUSTIN: Well, I was a gymnast since I was a little girl and got a full athletic scholarship to college and I went to the University of Arizona and and then I got my degree in exercise physiology and aerobics was just beginning. It was the early 80’s and I moved back to California where I’m from and I met Jack LaLanne, the godfather of fitness and he gave me my first start on television. I loved it so much! I was teaching aerobic classes all over LA at the time and of course at that time, we only had little rooms to teach. There weren’t any big gyms. I taught in racquet ball courts and things like that. We really enjoyed the TV part and I got my own show on KABC LA. I got married and then I moved to Washington DC and started on the Today Show. I then had my own show on ESPN and Lifetime – everything just kept going.

When I was in college, I knew that I could teach some type of fitness with music because that’s gymnastics anyhow. So I just parlayed it into a career!

AM: Wow! Thinking back to a number of us who were growing up when you were starting, we did it with our moms – you had TV shows, VHS and DVDs, you were literally everywhere! Did you consciously think to yourself that you were going to have this brand and it’s going to be something where people are going to say, “oh Denise Austin – that’s a thing?”

DA: Well, not really! I didn’t know the name brand back in the day, 35 years ago! But I loved what I was doing because I was getting letters from people telling me that I was making a difference in what I was doing in their lives. It’s such a fulfilling job and to this day, I do it because I love hearing that it changes them and it changes the way that they feel. They have said that I have saved them, their marriage and I have had people cry and thank me. To know that you are out there helping people just made me want to keep being out there and doing more! I figured out how to keep going and it was kind of a “learn as I go” and I helped create some of this stuff!

I was learning as I was going along and I’d say, “oh yes, I can do a monthly segment on the Today Show – yes I can on fitness!” Then it was like, “yes, I can do VHS.” So it just kept going and I work very hard and persistence did pay off. I’d work on weekends and make appearances. I constantly love what I do so I’m a hard worker so that helped!

AM: Well, that’s an understatement! What was the first time like when you created your first video? You knew you were on a set and its production time. What was that like?

DA: Oh it was a dream come true! I was 27 and it was my first VHS. I was able to film it at the first MTV Studios and they were just kind of starting and I used their sets and I was right here in NYC. I had top makeup people for the very first time and I was like ok – I just did it. I had my routine, but I went for it and I was who I was. It was Rock Hard Abs and Rock Aerobics, I had two VHSs out of it and they were hits at the same time that my friend, Jane Fonda was coming out with her VHS tapes. It was a vary exciting time for the industry because aerobics was just starting in the early 80s.

AM: Did you come up with the outfits yourself? As a young girl doing the workouts, the fun part was seeing the style involved. To this day, there are photoshoots that have appeared in the magazine that have taken concepts off of looks that you wore then and then bringing them into present day shoots!

DA: What I did for Rock Aerobics is that I had a unitard and I said to myself, “this is all about the abs – I’m going to do a cutout.” So I cut out my material around the belly button and I used my pair of scissors to cut out the whole around my stomach so that they could see my abs while I was doing my workout. That’s one of the biggest pictures that I had and I saved all of those items. Now my daughter has fallen into the fitness footsteps now. Thank God I saved so many leggings, high cut up the butt leotards and hot pinks and hot lime green! It’s fun because it’s now all coming back – “let’s get physical.”

AM: How do you keep your energy?

DA: You know what? I’m like this. I wake up like this! Everyone asks my kids, “does your mom wake up like this?” I’m like, “yeah if you spend the night with me, you’ll see! Good morning!”

DA: Yes! It changes if I’m traveling but mostly I get up, I do like my cup of coffee in the morning. I squeeze in my workout on most days for 30 mintues in the morning. I try to get in my workout. I do lots of online, post, my social media, I answer all my messages, do my email and then I make appearances, give speeches. I eat lunch, I eat dinner – I never skip a meal. I just love food and I eat well. 80% of the time, I eat well and have my treats 20% of the time. Evening time, I'm ready to have my glass of red wine - that is my treat and I enjoy that. I have lots of girlfriends, a great husband, 2 daughters and a huge family. Family means a lot to me and so do my girlfriends. So I do many things with friends!

AM: It’s so important to be balanced!

DA: Yes, I eat most everything just all in small bites as it’s all about moderation.

AM: You served 2 terms on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, can you tell us about the council, how you came to joining it and what were your roles and responsibilities by being apart of it?

DA: It was years ago when President Bush appointed me and Arnold Schwarzenegger was the chairman of it. The appointment was made by President Bush 41, God rest his soul as he was the sweetest man in the world and very fit. I was under Arnold as our chairman and we went to schools all over the nation. It was a volunteer job and we were trying to get kids into physical education at the schools which was really hard and we did appearances and Arnold paid out of his own money in every state we went to. I would lead aerobics to young kids and it was the beginnings of this grass roots for the President’s Council. It was a really fun time because we were trying to get fitness out there during the 90’s so it was a very important time you know. We were trying to change people’s eating habits. We were trying to get rid of some of the sugars in people’s cereals. So we lobbied on The Hill in front of Congress and pleaded with them to make changes for the school to get kids moving more and to get physical education back into the schools. We worked hard!

AM: That council was so huge. I graduated in 1997 from High School and starting in my Sophomore year, in addition to the traditional gym classes, you could have aerobics as an entire class. We also had potato and salad bars at our school. Our school system was seen as progressive and a lot of times, we talked about the fact that because of the council, it allowed our school system to understand that this was so important. I appreciate the efforts that you guys did to make this happen!

DA: Your school system was progressive and it was a lot of work, but I’m glad you had that opportunity available to you! We also made recommendations and guidelines with top doctors which was years of work and I learned so much to be around the brilliant minds of medical, health and wellness. I learned a lot which helped me to grow to teach other people especially women and to this day, I still get on the phone and talk to these top doctors all over the country! I use them as great resources to this day. It was a wonderful time and good networking.

AM: Amazing and you also helped launched the Food Pyramid System as well! How was that and what was it like as this is huge!

DA: I sure did! Well, they worked with nutritionists all over the country to come up with this pyramid guide making sure that the sugars were low and that the whole grains and fruits and vegetables that were at the bottom, took up a lot of our plate. They asked me to be the one to kick it off at The Department of Agriculture in Washington DC in this whole glorious building and it was a huge honor!

AM: It’s amazing to hear so many things that you have done and been apart of that you didn’t even think about, but that is the cornerstone of what we know today. How are you so humble about that?

DA: I almost forget that I did it! I’m moving ahead so much that I don’t really think about it!

AM: When you think about how you, Jack LaLanne and Jane Fonda laid the ground work for what fitness videos are, various programs etc. They were the precursor to today’s studio and boutique fitness locations.

DA: Oh I just love what I do! I keep going and I just feel that I do look ahead and my focus now is looking at women that are over 40. I have a Stop the Clock Guide – which is a nutrition and fitness guide for women because this age group has women that aren’t really seen anymore. I truly believe that those in this group - we want to be healthy, we want to be attractive, we want to look good and we want to do everything. That’s why I’m here and I want to tell them, yes we can. I have the best exercises to do away with belly fat after menopause. I know how to firm up your arms so that we look good when we wave goodbye. Muscles work wonders on your metabolism and I know through research that it does work. I believe in it so much because fitness is the best preventative medicine that there is. I preach it and I want my women over 40 to hear me, to learn and to not give up! They need to have a positive attitude about it as many women get clogged down with stress in this age in our life but there is so much to look forward to because we live longer now and we want to feel better.

AM: When you look at ages from 40-50 etc the way you work out when you are in those ages is different then when you’re in your 20’s and 30’s – what are the focuses in these age groups?

DA: Well in your 40’s, I still think that women need a lot of cardio to burn the fat. In the 50’s I focus mainly on target toning exercises because that’s when you start to have your metabolism drop during this age. One of the reasons is because you lack good muscle tone. The more muscle cells in your body, they’re active at rest. So the second you start losing muscle tone, that’s when you gain weight and that’s why the correlation between this in your 50’s is so important. I want to save women right away before it gets away from them. That’s why they need to focus on muscle condition which is what the guide is all about. Then in your 60’s, I hit this age group which is why I do more toning of course, but then I also turned it into stability exercises more core, strength training, stretching and balance.

AM: How important is recover to you in terms of working out?

DA: Very important! I take very good care of myself. I do Epson Salt baths now, I do foam rollers in my workouts, I believe in smoothing out my muscles for less stress. I try to once a month get a full body massage and those are just some of the little things that I do for wellness and recovery. I’m a big believer in eating healthy too! I’ve added in my nutrition guide, new recipes that have a lot to do with Omega-3’s as we need those as we age. Also some great healthy fats to make our skin still look supple and our hair looking fresh. So beauty plays a key role in what you are eating. I add a lot of different elements into the recipes that I make. Everything that I make is quick and easy, because if it isn’t easy in the kitchen, I won’t do it!

AM: What are 3 workouts that you think that everyone should be doing regardless of their age or wherever they are in life that are great for their abs, butts and legs?

DA: Absolutely. Always the simple rule of thumb is something for your upper body – a push up. If you don’t want to do it on the ground, you can do it against your kitchen counter or the office desk. It gets the arms and it gets your chest – so that takes care of your upper body. Mid Section, the old fashioned plank or sit-up it takes care of your belly and that whole core. I like to hold it up to a minute or change it up and do different things like bicycles or anything for your abs. For the lower body, squats and lunges for your hips, thighs and butt. If your knees hurt you, just go half way and do many squats. You can hold onto a chair or a countertop to use it for extra support. So you get something for your upper body, your mid section and your lower body.

AM: How many books have you written?

DA: Oh 12 books and I'm writing a book as we speak!

AM: What is that process like for you?

DA: Oh I’m terrible. It’s the worst job of my life because I talk so much that I would rather talk it, then write it. I feel like I am giving a speech to help women and then, that’s how I write my book – exactly like how I would talk it. Then I have to have an editor for English and then it’s a process.

AM: So what projects are you working on?

DA: Well on my DeniseAustin.com site, I bought back all of my TV shows that everyone used to watch and that they have missed. They now have Denise on Demand for their workouts just like they used to! You can time it so that even at 7am you can go to my website and bam it’s there so that you can stream it. Now I’m working on focusing all of my energies on Stop the Clock because it is so popular. We’re doing challenges on that. Recently, we had a 4 day arm challenge so that you could get sexy arms for the summer. So we’ll be doing some new challenges for the month of July so come back to DeniseAustin.com to see that. All of the challenges are free and I do have an online membership that is under $100 for the entire year. Everything that you want from me from my old workouts, new workouts, old shows, new shows, new challenges and an eating plan. If you need a focus on your meal plans I have this for you and if you need to focus on the way that I eat, vegetarian, gluten-free, heart healthy etc. – we have something for everybody!

AM: Do you and Katie workout together?

DA: Yes! That’s another focus I have! Katie Austin is my little daughter – well she is 25 but we do mother-daughter workouts together. She is doing a tour and I am joining her in some of the cities. I’m very excited about that. This is really fun being able to work with my daughter. She teaches me things about Social Media. She’s the one that got me on Instagram – I had Facebook, but now I have this. And then I try to help her on what I have learned in my industry, focusing on good form and little details. You know, I have 2 daughters. My oldest Kelly, is in the music industry, when I would film my TV Show when they were younger, Katie would stand there by the camera and do it with me. Kelly would be out there looking for shells or who knows what! Katie was always watching and I had no idea after college that that was what she wanted to do. So it was so fun that she loved it, is a natural and she learned from years of being there. Everyday – she was even in a workout video that I did years ago when she was 7 for Fit Kids. She had already filmed videos and been on shows for years.

AM: There is something about when you have parents that are in a business that you can see or be around and how it ends up being a part of your career!

DA: Yes so true! My oldest daughter is a Music Supervisor. She picks songs for movies. My husband is a sports lawyer, but he is a music nut! When she was little, they used to put playlists together so it’s like one focused on what his passion was and one focused on what mine was. It’s kind of fun!

AM: In LA, where can we find you grabbing a bite, shopping and working out?

DA: Yes we had been based in Washington DC for 32 years and now we’re in LA – back home! In LA I like Earth Café for food and coffee, it’s one of my favorite stops in Santa Monica. For dinner, I love Scopa, I just went there in Venice it was delicious and it’s Italian! I do eat pasta, but only from good places – why not? Oh gosh, you’ll see me walking on the beach a lot. You’ll see me doing the Strand Walk which is a 5 mile walk on the strand which is like a boardwalk. You’ll see my husband and I play tennis a lot and we go on bike rides a lot too! We bike ride to Happy Hour as I only have one glass!

I love walking in NY and Chicago. The second that I land, I throw my bags in the hotel and I get out and walk. I don't care what time it is, I get out and walk for 30 minutes. It's a great thing to get out and stretch.

AM: We’re all about #TRIBEGOALS. Who are 3 people that inspire you?

DA: I would say my daughters. They inspire me to work harder to be a good person. They’re watching and as a mom that means the world to me – as my family means everything! I would also say my husband – his loyalty and his integrity to people. I look up to him. In business there are so many, I can’t even just pick one in my industry. There was Jack LaLanne and now I also look up to writers that are really cool like Tim Farris and Dave Asprey.

You can hear Denise Austin's interview later this month on our show, #TRIBEGOALS which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

This month, our cover is graced by Michelin starred Chef and Restaurateur, George Mendes. We talk about his restaurant Aldea as well as his pop up concept currently at Chefs Club Counter in NYC. In addition, we interview 4 x NBA Champion, John Salley to talk about how he came to basketball, his forray into the wellness and health industry as an investor and gifting for Father's Day. We also interviewed Celebrity Fashion Stylist, Brad Goreski to talk about his style inspirations, summer's perfect accessory, being a Co-Host on E! Live from the Red Carpet and his thoughts on the Met Gala! We also interviewed, fitness icon, Denise Austin about being an innovative in the industry, her success with her shows and what she is currently focused on. In addition, as our third year of being media sponsors for PRIDE, we included imagery from PRIDE ISLAND with performances by Madonna, Amara La Negra, Teyana Taylor, Grace Jones and more. In addition, we have a number of our monthly features showcasing athleisure culture.

Growing up, we remember watching Denise Austin as her fitness DVDs ensured that we targeted areas of our body that we wanted to optimize. Her videos included positivity, fun outfits, beach locales when she was outside of her studio and Katie Austin appeared on set from time to time as a child.

Clearly, Katie is all grown up and is continuing in her mom's footsteps. We caught up with Katie to find out what brought her to the fitness industry, what we can expect from her fitness methods and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We know your mom (clearly) as we grew up watching our mom's work out to Denise Austin, when did you have that moment that you knew you wanted to delve into thefitness industry?

KATIE AUSTIN: It was never a moment it was more like steps I took in life to realize! Ever since I was little, I grew up watching my mom film her shows and got to travel with her to all these different cool locations. My mom always tells me that even when I was 3 years old I’d sit and watch her film as my sister would be playing in the pool or catching lizards. She said she knewthen that I’d be into it! BUT it wasn’t until college that I thought of the fitness industry as a career. After I moved on from playing D1 lacrosse at USC, I decided to do weekly fitness segments on the college station. After a great reaction from my student segments for a year, I decided to start a blog. And it started from there.

AM: Having a fitness icon such as your mom, what did you learn from her that you have applied to your unique mark in the industry?

KA: I feel like there are three big things I have learned from her.

1. Always be positive- no matter what. People look up to you for that light.

2. Make your workouts practical for your target demographic. She knows exactly what the regular girl wants and can do for their daily lifestyle.

3. Sounds cliché, but always stay true to yourself! Be authentic, and just be you. Because people will love the real YOU.

KA: So my site is still kind of new!! I just launched my membership program about 2 and a half months ago. It’s really exciting for me because it’s a subscription plan for all my followers. Meaning it’s a big library of all my workout videos, 50+, and counting because I always add new ones! So you can either pick and choose what workout you’re feeling up to that day whetherthat’s abs, booty, cardio, etc. OR follow my exact workouts I give you in my Daily Workout Calendar- like a guide within the subscription!

AM: What is your goal with Get Fit With Katie.com and where do you see it in 5years?

KA: My dream for forever has been to My dream for forever has been to have a TV show. I studied TV production at USC and just fell in love with it. I actually am a sports host for Fox onthe side as well, so combining my love for hosting and TV with fitness is the goal. So to have a fitness/wellness TV show like my mom did would be my 5 year plan!

AM: Everyone is focused on how they can have energy packed meals that they can take with them for lunch, what are 5 dishes for the work week that are easy to make that can be enjoyedon the run?

KA: Well I’m all about keeping meals SIMPLE. In my food guide, my recipes are all 7 ingredients or less, so it’s never anything too complicated. Usually I do a grain (brown rice- or quinoa, not technically a grain but I consider it one), with a healthy fat (avocado), with a protein (grilled chicken or salmon) and 2 different kinds of veggies (like zucchini and carrots).

AM: What is your personal style when you are working out versus when you're going out to brunch?

KA: When I’m working out I love being colorful, I love wearing bright sports bras and leggings. I also LOVE high-waisted workout leggings because they hold everything in!! For brunch, I would usually wear a sundress with some wedges! I also love wearing one piece leotards right now.It’s funny because I always wear my mom’s old 80’s workout leotards to go out in, and ALWAYS get compliments and questions on where they’re from. I have to use that Mean Girls line... “It’smy mom’s from the 80s.. Vintage!”

AM: When you work out, what is on your playlist?

KA: I love the two opposite types of music. Hip hop/rap or country. So usually Drake, Future, Nicki Minaj, OR Little Big Town, Maren Morris, or Jason Aldean!!

AM: What are 3 of your favorite workouts and what areas are they targeting?

KA: I love HIIT [High intensity interval training], dance cardio, and basic toning moves. Dance cardio is a great way to have fun while burning calories, and my toning moves (like leg lifts, bicep curls, etc.) are a great way to sculpt my muscles. But, I definitely see most results with HIIT workouts. Usually, my HIIT workouts are a combination of cardio and toning, and they’re QUICK! So they’re more intense in a shorter amount of time to make them super effective.

We're excited to share our Aug issue of Athleisure Mag with our celebrity cover, Jessie Graff who is not only a stunt person in some of your favorite movies but she is also known for crushing the courses on NBC's American Ninja Warrior. In addition to her Q&A, we also interviewed Katie Austin who shares with us her fitness method and how working with her mom, the infamous Denise Austin - set her on her path. We also sat down with Sage Steel of ESPN's SportsCenter AM to talk about coming back to the network and how she got into the industry. Enjoy the editorial about Saugatuck Rowing Club and their partnership with ROW HOUSE NYC - our Co-Founder even got into the rowing action and was part of the crew for the day! Throughout the year, we have shared No Kid Hungry's initiatives and in this month's issue we share their newest campaign with Williams Sonoma.

As always, we have a number of features including 2 fitness methods for this month's ATHLEISURE LIST, we share products that use Rice, ATHLEISURE BEAUTY, an array of roundups in fashion and style and much more.

I always felt that when people chose their workouts it was based on their needs as well as a way to tap into their energy. My vivid memories of exercise include watching my mom work out to Denise Austin, Glad and a number of the 80’s stars. Aerobics, the step and squats were a part of my routine from high school through college as I loved the movement and that feeling – who doesn’t love a retro Jane Fonda moment? Towards the end of college, I met the Elliptical and I was hooked. As I transitioned to NYC as long as there was an elliptical – that’s the only gym equipment you would see me on for 45 mins to an hour. At home, I would do routines that focused on squats (loved them) and crunchies. For the last few years when it came to various workouts, I sampled the trends and methods like I would a flight of wines and beer. It didn’t bother me that I wasn’t committed to them – as long as I kept moving.

As a woman who has always been comfortable within my own skin, like many I have always had areas that I would love to tweak; however, I felt that there were things that were clearly off the table due to genetics. As the Co-Founder/Style Director of Athleisure Mag, I love how we showcase fashion, style, fitness, beauty and more within the athleisure lifestyle. Whether I’m visiting designers, on set for shoots for this publication or others or going on air – I always end up being in conversations about health, mindfulness and balance. It’s always interesting to see what’s out there and to try it out. At the beginning of this year, I decided that I would focus on certain areas in terms of my fitness. I was about 2 weeks in when I was connected with Exude Fitness and its CEO, Edward Jackowski, Ph.D., one of the country’s leading motivational fitness experts and best-selling author of Escape Your Shape (Simon and Schuster). A number of celebrities have graduated from Exude Fitness including Brooke Shields, Tina Feyand more.

Prior to my first session, I was sent his book, Escape Your Shape, which breaks down our bodies into four shapes Hourglass®, Spoon®, Ruler® orCone®. With that said, these types have workouts that are geared towards each shape (as well as itemized no-no’s for each body type). Not surprisingly, I knew that I was an Hourglass. I also learned through the book that my sampling of various workouts wasn’t about being aware ofwhat was out there, but my way of saying that the methods weren’t helping me in my goals. Therefore, I would try it out for a bit and then move on. Frustration would set in and I would simply go back to the elliptical and squats - as I felt that that was benefiting me (although now I know this doesn’t work for me in terms of the goal of a leaner lower body).

When I arrived at Exude Fitness at Bliss Spa, I had already filled out a form that looked at my medical history, my goals etc., and I kept in mind the Hourglass focus. I had circled one of my goals that simply stated toning in all areas. I thought it was a reasonable answer and who wouldn’t want to just have it all. The next 20 minutes of working with Edward showed me that without even reading my answers he accurately identified areas that I wanted to improve upon. He also dispelled myths that I believed to be true (ie., having larger thighs is hereditary so it’s not something that I can really do anything about). As we sat there, he charted what we were working towards from reducing inches to losing weight as well as to benchmarks. Hearing that in 6 weeks I would see one series of results and that by July (right before the holiday) – I would hit the goals, I was shocked.

Just in case I had any more concerns on whether this was possible, Edward had me do one thing that made me a believer. I hadn’t been able to touch my toes standing up in a very long time. I chalked it up to having poor flexibility as I got older. Within a few stretches on the same day upon meeting Edward, I was able to touch my toes (sometimes when I am working on a workout and am challenged, I stop and touch my toes to remember that something I didn’t think I could do – I can do without effort).

Just in case I had any more concerns on whether this was possible, Edward had me do one thing that made me a believer. I hadn’t been able to touch my toes standing up in a very long time. I chalked it up to having poor flexibility as I got older. Within a few stretches on the same day upon meeting Edward, I was able to touch my toes (sometimes when I am working on a workout and am challenged, I stop and touch my toes to remember that something I didn’t think I could do – I can do without effort).

Although I was a little sore my first day as I had touched muscles that I hadn’t before, I was excited to get a workout program that was tailored to me for my body type. That night, I had a program that included minimal equipment (you can’t go wrong with 2 lb weights, a jump rope and a 4 lb bar). Within my routines, I have options for days that I do yoga or when I’m traveling and am unable to be on a stationary bike. Everything is thought out so that you can optimize your workout to reach your goals. In addition, he is only a phone call or an email away. Another key portion of Exude Fitness is the care that is taken to matching each person to a trainer. It’s not just about ensuring that you’re form is right or that you are increasingyour workout – it’s also about matching a personality that creates a relationship. Through the past 6+ weeks, working out with Fun Lee has been a treat as she knows how I have advanced within certain workouts that were previously a challenge, she knows when I can do a little more and keeps mixing it up – but she also makes me feel really comfortable in general. She also acknowledges my commitment to the process and that I am genuinely blown away by the results.

When it comes to results, I have to say that I saw toned areas throughout my legs pretty quickly and well before my 6 week target, I was pleased with the transformation that happened and of course with working out within what works for my body, it’s easier for me to push forward even through portions that are still a little tough. As Edward says, the “results and motivation are directly linked to each other - and the more results you see, the more incentive you have for continuing to exercise.” At the end of the day health, fitness and aesthetics are the core benefits to exercising and when these are met through picking, “the right exercises and activities that are based on your body type” – going back to sampling an array ofworkouts is not even an option. For the past 25 years, Exude Fitness has studied and analyzed the aesthetic effects of exercise and holds theworld’s only medically-proven and patented exercise program based on body types - as he is the pioneer and innovator of this method. I’m pleased to share that I will check in with you on my results and findings with my training with Exude Fitness and even outside of the magazine, you will be able to see more about what they are doing throughout the website. As Spring makes everyone think about their fitness levels again (just in case some of you made those resolutions at the beginning of the year), I want to share with you Exude Fitness and its body types, as well as some key notes about each.

KNOW YOUR BODY TO GET TONEDNo matter whether you’re an Hourglass®, Spoon®, Ruler® or Cone® (although these body types are genetically predetermined) it’s understanding your type that will allow you to work out your problem areas and to adjust your workout plan. In terms of diet, I can only speak to my plan, I really have not been restricted from any food; however, it is about when I am eating it. I have always been one that doesn’t eat breakfast, has a light lunch (depending on what’s going on it’s a salad) and then a larger meal for dinner. A nugget of truth came when Edward said that my larger meal should be lunch as that is when I need more energy and my lighter meal should be a salad. When you think about it, it makes sense and as we’re movinginto the summer, having this simple, yet effective advice will definitely be welcome. As someone who loves potatoes, learning that I don’t have to break up with it but can simply enjoy them during lunch with one cheat evening with them are just some of the examples of why this method works with your lifestyle.

To properly identify your shape, it’s simply a matter of seeing where your weight (which includes muscle and fat) is distributed on your frame. Once you know your shape, you’re able to make the proper adjustments. Most women are Hourglass and Rulers, while most men are Cones and Rulers; moreover, your height or weight doesn’t determine which body type you are. It’s also worth noting that if you are vastly overweight, you may have a hard time seeing what your true body type may be. It’s best to follow the Hourglass workout until you begin to reduce your weight to see where you are. At that point, you can assess your type and begin targeting the exact workout for your true body type.

HOURGLASS

* Carries weight in both the upper and lower body; however, slender at the waist* Significant difference between the circumference of your chest and waist (or between hips and waist)* Your body reflects a balanced and curvaceous appearance when looked at in the mirror.

It’s worth noting that those that are this type tend to look lighter than their actual weight and tend to gain most of their mass in the thighs and backs of arms.

BEST EXERCISES

* Jump Rope (this has become my new friend)* Stationary biking with light to moderate resistance (when I am not accessible to a bike, I walk in non-inclined areas)* Upper body exercises with light weights and high repetitions

EXERCISES TO AVOID

* Step classes (I gave a sigh on this one)* Spinning* Kick-boxing (another sigh)* Elliptical (this took a moment for me to mark this passing)

THE DETAILS

As an Hourglass, my purpose is high reps (at least 25 – 50 repetitions for each exercise), low resistance and low weights for both upper and lower bodies. As my body slims down and lose weight and mass, I can then increase resistance and weight. Regardless, I have to continue high reps for each exercise.

THE GOAL: Trim upper and lower body.

RULER

* You’re straight up and down with very few curves due to equal body proportions* Little difference in the circumference of your chest, waist and hips* You gain weight around your midsection

It’s worth noting that those with this body type do not bulk easily, have less hamstring flexibility then Hourglasses and Spoons and have a tendency to lower back pain.

Those who are within this shape don’t have to avoid any exercises! If you are overweight and are looking to lose, then you need to use a moderateresistance/weights until your reach your ideal weight!

THE GOAL: Focus on trimming your stomach/ mid-section which will make you a little curvy.

SPOON

* Your lower body is considerably larger than the upper body* You carry most of your weight in your hips, thighs and buttocks* You gain weight from the hips down* When you look in the mirror, your eyes go directly to your lower body Spoons tend to have a weaker upper body and thicker thighs, knees, calves and ankles.

For a Spoon, it’s all about high reps and low resistance for all lower-body exercises and moderate to high resistance for all upper body exercises. For those that are overweight, the resistance should not be too high for the upper body either.

THE GOAL: A trimmer and more streamlined lower body and to have a stronger upper body so that you have a proportionate look.

CONE

* You carry most of your weight in your back, chest, arms and stomach* You’re more slender from the hips down

* The upper body is considerably larger than the lower body

Cones tend to have weak abdominal muscles and they experience some back pain.

BEST EXERCISES

* All lower body exercises that have moderate to heavy weights and/or resistance* Walking or jogging on incline* Upper body exercises with lightweight and high reps

EXERCISES TO AVOID

* All upper body exercises with moderate to high weights/resistance* Kick-boxing moves for the upper body* All exercise classes with hand weights or weighted bars heavier than 2 lbs.

THE DETAILS

Although Cones tend to avoid abdominal and lower body exercises, they are essential to do to become proportioned. The focus here is high reps and low resistance or weighs for the upper body with high resistance and moderate to heavy weights for the lower body. In addition, Cones that are male tend to struggle with giving up heavy weight lifting for their upper bodies. They need to switch to push-ups, dips, chin-ups or upper body routines that use lower weight and higher repetitions.

THE GOAL: Getting a trimmer, less bulky upper body and strengthen the lower body to achieve better symmetry.

Over the next few months, I will check in with you on my progress as well as share additional items that are going on with Exude Fitness.